Runes of Issalia: The Complete Collection

Books 1-3

De: Jeffrey L. Kohanek

Narrado por: Tim Campbell

Contains the complete Runes of Issalia series.

The Buried Symbol, book one

Rejecting his role as an outcast, Brock risks his life and obtains a false rune, marking him a member of the Empire's ruling class. Under a veil of deception and backed by natural talent, he then schemes his way into a school where the Empire's future leaders are trained. Can he maintain this charade? Within an academy of magic, science, and combat, he discovers secrets kept from society, among which is a forbidden magic he is able to wield. He is determined to tame his frightening new abilities. One misstep could destroy him.

The Emblem Throne, book two

The return of a forgotten magic sparks a prophecy of doom. A thin thread of hope remains, hidden with a long lost relic. Brock and his friends resume their training at the Academy. However, an expansive web of lies resides within the Ministry. The exposure of one such secret forces Brock and his friends to flee the school with their lives in the balance. Guided by cryptic instructions from the past and backed by a magic they have yet to master, these young heroes embark on a quest to unearth mysteries buried with the legendary Emblem Throne. However, the path is fraught with blood thirsty monsters and unsuspected danger. One mistake could seal the fate of everyone in Issalia.

An Empire in Runes, book three

A powerful magic. An unstoppable army. The final battle. Mankind's fate hangs in the balance. The eastern cities of Issalia lay in ruin, destroyed by a horde mindless monsters. Led by a teen named Brock, a squad of young heroes seeks a means of stopping this dark force from consuming the rest of the continent. The future of mankind hinges upon a powerful yet destructive magic. As foretold in an ancient prophecy, this rag-tag force gathers upon the Tantarri plains, prepared to face an army of giants. All the while, they must remain vigilant against a secret organization within the Ministry, who will do anything to prevent the return of Chaos.

©2021 Jeffrey L. Kohanek (P)2021 Podium Audio

Another good one picks up halfway through

I read this AFTER the wizardom series and also the first available audio book of the prequel the first wizard. Comparing is apples to oranges but I got big Harry Potter school vibes in the first half of the 3 books and then it settled into the stuff I was used to and love. Ultimately it was important enough to have the first half the way it was in the end, but I felt like the first book alone entirely could have captured what was needed in order to let the big grand adventure and epic lore stuff happen on a slower scale. Loved it either way. Can’t get enough of the author.

A really well written and performed series!

I had this sitting in my library for awhile now and never got around to listening to it until the other day. I am really glad that I finally took the time to finally tackle it. I thoroughly enjoy from beginning to end. The characters were really well developed even though there were a lot of them to keep track of. The action scenes were well done, The magic system was interesting with the order and chaos side to the "runes". I really enjoyed the narrator for this series they did really well. I highly recommend this series to all fantasy fans.

Enjoyable journey

I enjoyed the buildup for each character with little hints along the way of how each would grow into their eventual destinies. The strengths and weaknesses were brilliantly lauded out on the writers canvas. I had no dislikes.

Easy to like characters and story

Well read and engaging. The story and characters draw you in. Sad it ended so soon.

Predictable

The bad: It's utterly predictable. I'm not one who enjoys to try and predict what's coming, but even I called the big "reveal" at the end probably halfway through the second book. Besides that, the character work was pretty weak. The good guys are perfect and just about everyone loves them immediately, and anyone who doesn't love them is almost guaranteed to be an antagonist at some point. There is practically zero internal conflict in the main characters and, as a result, zero character growth. This was made more frustrating because there were several areas where the author seemed like they were gong to introduce some personal conflict into the lives of several characters and force them to overcome it, but in each case the story just kinda moved on without acknowledging what could have been some great moments.

The good: Despite my complaints re: character work, the core story of the book actually is well written. The premise is solid and has some very interesting/unique elements. The overall structure completely changes about halfway through the series, which keeps things interesting. While I wish it weren't so predictable, I have to acknowledge that it kept me engaged for the majority of the runtime. The narration, while not anything truly impressive, still brought the characters to life, and I had no trouble figuring out who was talking at any given moment.

Simple plot seems crafted well

This simple book is I think for tweens and teens which is great. The adventure unfolds well and is paced nicely. Narration is quite good and adds to the overall experience

Another great Kohanek Saga

A great "zero-to-hero" tale worth hearing from beginning to end. Jeffrey Kohanek is a tremendously talented author who produces consistently entertaining content and Tim Campbell brings the work to life.

Compelling Story w/Complex Characters

This series was riveting! I loved the entire story, which made me laugh, cry, and ponder its parallels to our reality

The underdog progression fantasy

solid storyline, good pace, all the tropes I enjoy including the underdog hero fighting against oppression

Just about perfect

I really enjoyed this book. It has a good mix of action, magic and character building. This kept my interest throughout the entire book. The only thing missing are some intense sex scenes, but that’s just me. I hope there are more installments to come.